Medical battery.



No. 765,530. PATBNTBD JULYilS, 1904. G. F. WEBB.

MEDJCAL BATTERY.

APPLICATION ILBD MAY 3, 1904.

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/NVENTH @Sayaf/774555 ATTORNEYS y PATENTED JULY 19, 1904. G. P. WEBB. MEDICAL BATTERY. APPLICATION FILED HAY 3; 1904.

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WITNESSES' ATTUH/VEYS UNITED STATES Patented July 19, 1904.

PATENT GEEICE.

MEDICAL BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 765,530, dated July 19, 1904,

Application filed May 3,1904. Serial No. 206,202l (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FRANoIs VEBB, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Geneva, in the county of Ashtabula and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Medical Battery, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to batteries, my more particular object being to produce a light and compact battery suitable for medical use and capable of ready adjustment without regard to the amount of current to be supplied.

My invention further relates to certain improved types of electrodes to be used in connection with such battery.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my battery'as mounted in a Derby hat and ready for service. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the battery removed and with the conducting cords or Wires detached. Fig. 3 is avertical crosssection taken lengthwise through the battery on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 and showing the same as consisting of comparatively few cells. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of a single cell. 5 is a horizontal section taken upon the line 5 5 of Fig. 4 looking' in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the binding connections used for connecting the conducting cords or wires with the battery. Fig. 7 is a plan view of one form of electrode, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing one way of using the battery.

A number of separate absorbents 8, each consisting, preferably, of felt, annel, or some similar fabric,are folded back upon themselves at the several points 8a, so as to envelop a plate 9 of copper provided with indentations, through which indentations rivets 11 pass without touching the plate 9. Each plate 9 is further provid ed with a stem 12, having rivetholes 13, as indicated more particularly in Fig. 5. A number of bands 14'of corrosive material, preferably Zinc, are bent into the form indicated, and within each band 14 is an additional strip 15 of the same material. One of the bands 14 and one of the strips l5 to- Fig.-

gether constitute an anode or positive element posts I employ a binding connection 16, provided with an upturned lip 17 and with loops 18, all of these parts being integral, as indicated in Fig. 6. The loops 18 serve as handles for readily manipulating the binder and also as portions whereby the cords or wires 21 22 may be connected. At the ends of the battery the loops 18L1 are disposed in a plane substantially normal with the general plane of the belt, as indicated in Fig. 2. The lips 19 of the terminal binders are connected by rivets 2() with the extreme battery elements, as indicated in Fig. 3. The wires or cords 21 22 are of the usual construction and may be connected, if desired, with electrodes of the form shown at 23, or either of these electrodes may be supplanted by an electrode of the form shown at 24,- this latter electrode being provided with sponges 25 suitable for application to the ears. rl`he electrodes 23 are of special construction and are made of aluminium, the metal being frosted, so as to distribute the effect and also to present a neat appearance.

In connecting up the battery the stem 12 of each plate 9 is bent slightly out of alinement, as indicated in Fig. 3, and secured by a rivet 13n to the zinc element of the next successive cell. If it be desired to use the full electromotive force of the battery, the loops 18 of the terminal binders 16 are connected directly with the wires or cords 21 22. If, however, it be desired to use less than the maximum voltage of the battery, one of the wires or terminals 21 22 is connected with the loops 18 of the binder 16, secured between any two adjacent absorbents, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3.

As shown in Fig. 1, the battery has the electromotive force of four cells only. By moving the binder 16 to the right or to the left of the position indicated in Fig. 1 the voltage of the battery is increased or reduced, as desired. While in Fig. 1 I show the battery as carried within a hat, it may obviously be carried in other ways not necessary to be described.

It will be noted that the rivets 11 bind the absorbents tightly upon the ends of the plate 9, so as to maintain a good contact between 2of the battery. Instead of using binding- IOO making anymetallic connection such as would form a short-circuit. It will also be noted that the number of cells in the battery may be decreased or increased, as desired, the battery being of the so-called built-up type, and that independently of the number of cells the voltage may be varied, as above described. The fact that the plate 9 with its stem 12 has substantially the form of a T gives it a good anchorage within the absorbent, especially as the rivets ll cause considerable pressure to be exerted as between the absorbent and the copper plate 9. This pressure prevents any displacement of the plate 9 and avoids the possibility of any contact between it and the metallic rivet 11.

My invention is used as follows: The several absorbents 8 are partially saturated with a corrosive solutionfsuch, for instance, as salt water or water containing` a small proportion of sulfuric acid. The conducting cords or wires 2l 22 are next connected, as above described, and the electrodes 23 23 or 23 24 are applied, as desired, the galvanic current thereupon passing through the electrodes and through the diseased organ or part. To increase or diminish the electromotive force, it is not necessary to disengage the wire or cord 22. All that is necessary is to slip the binder 16 out of engagement with the stem l2, as will be understood from Fig. 3.

While I show and preferably employ the cells connected in series, I do not limit myself to this arrangement. Neither do I limit myself to the exact mechanical details of each cell nor to the precise method of varying the electromotive force of the battery.

Having th us described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a medical battery, the combination of a cathode-plate provided with indentati'ons and with a stem, said cathode-plate thus being of substantially T shape, an absorbent of liexible material bent about said cathode-plate and partially inclosing the same, a Zincstrip engaging said absorbent, a Zinc band engaging said zinc strip andalso engagingsaid absorbent, and metallic rivets passing through said Zinc strip, said Zinc band and said absorbent but without engaging said cathode-plate.

2. In a medical battery, the combination of elements for producing electromotive force, connecting-wires engaging the same, and electrodes engaging said connecting-wires, said electrodes being made of aluminium and provided with frosted surfaces.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE EEANcis WEBB.

Witnesses:

C. I. CHAMBERLIN, HENRY MEANS. 

